Meyer promises change as Ohio State coach

Before Urban Meyer could agree to a contract as Ohio State's new football coach, he had to sign something provided by his two college-age daughters and his young son.

Ohio State's .500 record this season marked the most losses at Ohio State since John Cooper's 1999 team also went 6-6 overall and 3-5 in the Big Ten.

The Buckeyes already lost their string of six Big Ten titles when the school was forced to vacate the 2010 season for the NCAA violations. The school also has self-imposed two years of NCAA probation and offered to return $339,000 in bowl revenue from 2010 and to forfeit five scholarships over the next three seasons.

Ohio State is awaiting final word from the NCAA's committee on infractions. The committee tagged Ohio State with a "failure to monitor" label — second only to a lack of institutional control on the list of most egregious charges against a university. The school could still be hit with a bowl ban, a loss of more scholarships, or other penalties.

Ohio State President Gordon Gee was at Vanderbilt when Meyer was in the Southeastern Conference with Florida.

"I always viewed him the way many other coaches referred to him as being a goody two-shoes," Gee said in a phone interview. "He was called that because he always tried to do things right, and he was upset if others didn't try to do it right. I have always admired him."

But Meyer's teams have not always been so well-behaved.

The Gators had 30 arrests involving 27 players during Meyer's six seasons.

In his second season with the Gators, No. 2-ranked Florida beat unbeaten Ohio State, coached by Tressel, 41-14, to win his first national title.

Two years later, Florida won another national title, beating Oklahoma 24-14 behind Tim Tebow.

Meyer said he's not worried about the NCAA hammering Ohio State, possibly tacking on a bowl game ban a year from now.

"At the end of the day I asked the same question: Is there anything behind Door No. 2? 3? 4?" he said. "I feel very confident and have great trust that there's not."